Easy Vori Vori de Pollo
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
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Servings
10
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Calories
612 kcal
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Course
Soup
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Cuisine
Paraguayan
Easy Vori Vori de Pollo
Description
Easy Vori Vori de Pollo combines tender chicken pieces simmered for over an hour with a medley of vegetables such as acorn squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peppers, creating a deeply savory broth enriched by chicken bouillon, dried chilies, and aromatic herbs. The distinctive dumplings, known as vori vori, are made from precooked white cornmeal mixed with mozzarella or parmesan cheese and oregano, then shaped into small balls and cooked directly in the hot broth. This gives the soup a hearty texture with the soft dumplings absorbing the seasoned broth.
The soup balances the sweetness of the squash and root vegetables with some heat from red pepper flakes and dried chilies. Cooking the chicken until tender and allowing the vegetables to soften produces a rich, satisfying meal. Fresh cilantro, green onions, and lime juice are added at serving to provide freshness and acidity that cut through the richness.
This soup is suitable for making in advance and storing, as the flavors develop further with time. It can be refrigerated for several days or frozen, with dumplings kept separate if desired to avoid over-softening. Reheating may require adding water or broth to adjust consistency. Vori vori de pollo is a filling dish ideal for colder days or when a wholesome chicken soup is desired.
Ingredients
For the Vori Vori ( Cornmeal and Cheese Dumplings):
- 500 g precooked white cornmeal I use the P.A.N. brand, or Maseca
- 250 g mozzarella cheese farmers cheese, or shredded Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
For the Chicken Soup:
- 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces or 8 drumsticks, whole
- 2 onion chopped, large
- 6 garlic finely chopped, large cloves
- 4 carrot peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 acorn squash (about 3 ½ pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 tomato chopped, large
- 2 poblano pepper chopped, or bell pepper
- 1 sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, large
- 1 potato peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks, Yukon Gold, large
- 2-½ tablespoons chicken bouillon to taste, Knorr brand
- kosher salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste, ground
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 tablespoon oregano chopped or dried oregano, fresh
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 dried red chili pepper , whole (optional)
- 10 to 16 cups water as needed, boiling
- 4 corn Cut into 2" Pieces, ears
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
- 1 cilantro chopped, or parsley, bunch
- 1 green onion chopped, bunch
- lime juice from 1 or 2 large, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat for about 1 minute. Brown the chicken well on both sides. Add the onions, poblano pepper, tomatoes, chili pepper, Chicken Flavor Bouillon, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon. Cover abundantly with hot water, and bring to a boil (add more hot water if necessary, the liquid must always be covering the chicken and vegetables), then let cook at a simmer for about 1-½ hours.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, oregano, and cheese. Add about 6 ladles of the hot chicken broth (be sure to add just enough chicken broth to make it moist dough) and mix with a wooden spoon or fork. Knead the dough briefly with your hands until you have a smooth, homogenous mixture.
- Pinch off a bit of dough (about a tablespoon) with your fingertips and use the palms of your hands to form a ball of approximately 1 inch in diameter. Place your Vori Vori on a plate and repeat this step until you have used up all the dough. Cover the Vori Vori with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to let rehydrate or refrigerate until needed.
- Add the sweet potato, white potatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and squash to the chicken soup. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender for about 30 minutes or until it reaches desired consistency. Taste and adjust the season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Gently add the balls of dough (do this slowly, one or two at a time, so that they don't fall apart, it will sink to the bottom of the pot, but little by little during their cooking time, they will begin to float to the surface) Add the chopped cilantro and green onion and gently shake the pot to combine.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring very carefully, or gently shake the pot so that they don't break every once in a while. Add the lemon juice, serve into bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with cooked yuca or a slice of crusty bread and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; dumplings can be stored separately to preserve texture.
- To reheat, warm soup on the stovetop or microwave, adding water or broth if thickened excessively.
- Freeze cooled soup in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months; thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheat dumplings separately if needed to maintain firmness after freezing or refrigeration.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions, and a squeeze of lime juice before serving to enhance flavor.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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